While it takes a little more figuring out, we are thankful that voting from overseas is possible. Some counties and states allow ballots to be emailed, and the US Embassy has outgoing mail pouches for paper ballots. The only thing missing is the “I Voted” sticker.

“All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah Psalm 66:4 Stop and soak in His glory, and lift high your praises!

Over the last few weeks, the youth group that many of the team kids attend has been discussing Hebrews 12:1-3. Those verses state that we are surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses.” We can be inspired to persevere by those who have gone before us–not in perfection, but in faithful service to our amazing God. Not only that, but God has placed Christian brothers and sisters in our lives to offer support when we feel overwhelmed with life. Look up, and know that He is with you; with Him you can do this!

Our team lives in the capital city, and many of us feel refreshed by being in nature, which can be challenging to find in a concrete jungle.  This coffee shop, located in a very central area, is like a tropical oasis that not only offers its customers a really good cup of coffee, but also provides a tranquil escape where we can be refueled before hitting the streets of the city again.

In the last few days we have had multiple conversations with students and friends about the alarming increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in our country. There have been anecdotal reports that there are very few hospital beds available and placed in self-isolation due to exposure or a confirmed case, people are concerned about the days and weeks ahead. Please pray for us to have calm spirits and words of hope as we encourage our friends during this time. We pray the same as you have opportunities to walk this road with those that God puts in your path.

“Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (MSG)

Autumn has arrived, which means it’s time for pumpkins! For us this means going to the local produce market and picking out our pumpkins– I think the silver “Cinderella” ones are the tastiest.

Then we have to chop it up and either bake or boil it to make puree. We then freeze our pumpkin puree in muffin tins, so we can have 1/2 cup frozen pucks of pumpkin all year long.

Finally, we use some of the puree to bake up some muffins to share with our local friends, who usually only use pumpkin in savory dishes, so these are a real treat for them! If you have a special recipe that uses pumpkin, please send it to us–we might try it and share it with our friends here!

Our team would like to give a shout out to Pastors and their families–you are loved and appreciated! We could not be here and serve without your support as you advocate on our behalf on that side of the world. It is with grateful and humble hearts that we say thank you for all you do!

For the past couple of months, we have had a leak inside one of the walls of our English center.  We didn’t see the leak or hear the leak, but as time went by the water, the water started to seep to the surface.  This leak was a reminder to me about the importance of being sure to examine the inside of our lives.  Jesus challenges the Pharisees in Matthew 23:26 by saying, “Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.”  May our prayer be like the song of David where he says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

A couple of months ago, we had the opportunity to attend a student retreat sponsored by a local, international church. The topic? Sharing Your Faith.  Most of these students attend an international university student gathering that we host every Saturday night.  This hangout has students from all over the region (and world) and from all different faith backgrounds. Our prayer is that the believing students who attend will “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks [them] to give the reason for the hope that [they] have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).